I’d been to Cafe Fiorello before. I wondered if the antipasto (5 selections for $27.75) would be as yummy and whether they’d offer their freshly baked cookies. During my past visits, the manager walked around the restaurant carrying a cookie sheet filled with just-baked goodies straight from the oven to offer gratis to patrons.

We started with cocktails. My friend asked for a Hugo ($17), a new refreshing drink combining prosecco, sparkling water, Elderflower liqueur and lots of fresh mint and I tried their Old Fashion ($19). Both drinks were good.

We ordered our antipasto: cauliflower Milanese, broccoli rabe with garlic and olive oil, cumin-scented heirloom carrots, eggplant caponata and zucchini parmesan. Sadly my favorite cauliflower Milanese was a breaded ball of cauliflower with more dough than veggie instead of the lightly coated florets. The others were fine.

And their meatballs were flavorful ($15.50 for 4)  yet too bready for me. Hoping to sop up the sauce, we ordered bread thinking we’d receive slices to dip into the sauces. Not. Instead, it was a baked over-buttered garlicky loaf ($7.50) with so much fat you could squeeze out the excess.

And — there were no cookies!!

If I returned, I’d skip the antipasto and try one of their entrees.

Cafe Fiorello
Lincoln Square
1900 Broadway
New York, NY 10023
(212) 595-5330
cafefiorello.com/